UNOFFICIAL NAT. L/BOARD AFTER SS14
1st (24) Manus Kelly/Donal Barrett (Escort) 1:42:25.4
2nd (21) Brian Brogan/Damien McGettigan (Escort) 1:42:46.3
3rd (29) Adrian Hetherington/Gary Nolan (Escort) 1:43:08.9
4th (28) Paul & Karl Reid (Escort) 1:43:51.3
5th (25) Frank Kelly/Liam Brennan (Escort) 1:44:10.4
6th (18) David Bogie/Michael Hendry (Escort) 1:44:27.2
7th Damien Gallagher 8th Declan McNaughton 9th Richard Moffett
Garry Jennings and Rory Kennedy head into Parc Ferme for the overnight halt holding a 48 second lead over last year’s winners Declan & Brian Boyle. Donagh Kelly regained some ground with a fastest time over SS13 - Carnhill, and is still in a very strong third position overnight. Jennings seems to have found a very strong pace over the afternoon stages but still told us “at this speed, it’s still a very fine line, Rory is keeping me right though”. Declan Boyle softened up the rear of the Fiesta and promptly went second fastest on SS13 and then scorched through the last stage of the day with fastest time, just over 4 sec’s up on Donagh Kelly.
Derek McGarrity had a big moment on the gravel on stage 13 when his Impreza went off into a couple of ditches but with minimal time loss. Darragh O’Riordan admitted to struggling on gravel in Carnhill and cant quite seem to get any time on McGarritty. Seamus Leonard in the McKinstry Impreza is really getting into his stride and is closing in both O’Riordan and McGarritty, setting himself up for a big push in the morning.
Stephen Wright was very late getting out of service for the final two stages and may incur road penalties if he does get going at all. Joe McGonnigle now leads class 5 in his S2000 Skoda and is running strongly in the top 10.
In the National Rally things continue to be as tight and intense. Manus Kelly and Brian Brogan both spun on the second run over Carnhill, but it was Brogan who pulled 3 seconds back on that one and he shaved a couple of tenths back on the final stage to leave the overnight gap at just over 20 seconds. Paul and Karl Reid were fastest national on SS13, 3.8 secs up on Brogan, despite being up a hedge. David Bogie had another spin on Carnhill while Adrian Heatherington has the handbrake fixed on his Escort and after a very strong day, he is now only 43 seconds of the National lead.
Seamus O’Connell was leading the historic rally from John Moynihan and Ernie Graham in third. This was after SS13, as the Historic cars are running at the back of the main field. One major retirement was Andy Johnson and Jim McSherry who broke a cam belt on their Chevette on the first run overnCarnhill (SS11).
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